I love visiting London, England, and always enjoy seeking out the VIP and private London tours that make our trips extra-special.
So, I’ve rounded up my pick of the best tours of London to help you plan your ideal London itinerary. I’ve included the best experiences from my previous trips to London, along with some tours I’d like to add to future trips.
These VIP experiences all offer a personal experience that goes beyond the standard guided tours. There’s something to suit everyone, from castle tours for fans of British history and the Royal family to gallery tours for art lovers.
I’ve also picked some family-friendly options to ensure your kids have a great time on your London visit.
It’s worth remembering that many VIP London tours are only open to limited numbers of guests and might only be available on selected dates. If there’s a tour that you really want to experience, check the dates carefully and book as early as possible so you don’t miss out!
The Tower of London
The Tower of London is a medieval castle complex on the banks of the River Thames and one of London’s iconic landmarks. It’s one of the city’s 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, Maritime Greenwich, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
Private tours of the Tower of London are a great way to look around the castle without the crowds of visitors. You can even have a private viewing of the priceless Crown Jewels, which are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the UK.
During our 2024 London visit, my sons and I booked onto the evening Ceremony of the Keys tour, which was guided by one of the Tower’s Yeoman Warders. We got to look around the Tower after it had closed for the day, see inside St Margaret’s church, and watch the ancient Ceremony of the Keys.
We all really enjoyed this tour, which is pretty kid-friendly, and you can read more in my full review of a private Tower of London tour. This one is a small group tour, not a truly private experience, but you will be alone in the Tower after hours, which makes it about as private as it comes.
Harry Potter VIP tour
If you’re a Potterhead, a Harry Potter VIP Tour is a must for your London itinerary. I took a VIP tour of the Warner Brother Studios during my 2018 visit to London, and this magical tour was a wonderful experience that we all enjoyed. This isn’t a private tour, as you will be with a small group, but it is an excellent VIP experience and the best way to see the studio.
The Warner Brother Studio Tour in Leavesden is easy to reach from the heart of London. The journey takes around 20 minutes by train from London Euston or 15 minutes by electric shuttle bus from Watford Junction.
The Harry Potter Deluxe Tour starts with breakfast in the Food Hall. Next, you’ll explore authentic Harry Potter film sets, see authentic costumes and film props, and learn secrets from behind the scenes of your favorite movies.
You’ll visit the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall and Diagon Alley, and have your photo taken at the doors of the Wizarding School. Once you’ve finished the guided part of the tour, you can go back to your favorite sets to have your photo taken, and film a green-screen broomstick flight over London.
Finally, you’ll get to try some Butterbeer or Butterbeer ice cream, served in an exclusive souvenir cup, and receive a souvenir guidebook to remind you of your visit.
We loved our Harry Potter Deluxe Tour, and I’d recommend it to all Harry Potter fans. The tours sell out very quickly, so book well in advance to avoid disappointment. If you’re not able to get in for the VIP tour, I recommend this tour, which includes transport to and from London.
Other Great Harry Potter Tours
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham is King Charles III’s official London residence and probably the most famous building in London. It’s the location for many national celebrations and royal occasions, and also provides the backdrop for the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
The Palace’s State Rooms open for public tours during the summer months, and private tours of Buckingham Palace are available on select dates throughout the rest of the year.
Accompanied by an expert guide, you’ll see the magnificent State Rooms and some of the Royal Collection’s treasures. These include fine antique furniture and paintings by artists including Rubens, Canaletto, and Rembrandt.
The East Wing Exclusive Guided Tour allows you to enter through the Palace’s front gates like guests at official royal events. You’ll also visit the Centre Room, where you can view the Palace’s famous balcony.
If you’re visiting London with kids, Buckingham Palace offers a special Family Tour designed to entertain young children.
You’ll need to be quick to book private Buckingham Palace tours when the dates are released, as your dates are very limited. Buckingham Palace is a working royal palace, so some rooms aren’t available for all private tours.
Buckingham Palace landed on my list of things not to do with kids in London, so think carefully before signing up for a tour if you’re visiting with family. Check out my full list of things to do in London with kids.
Windsor Castle
The royal residence of Windsor Castle lies around 25 miles west of central London in the county of Berkshire. It’s the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, dating back to the 11th century, and was Queen Elizabeth II’s main residence between 2011 and 2022.
A private tour of Windsor Castle will take you ‘behind the ropes’ with an expert guide. Once the Castle has closed to members of the public, you’ll explore 1000 years of history, see some of the Castle’s treasures, and learn how the State Apartments are used for important Royal occasions.
Your private Windsor Castle tour also includes a complimentary guidebook and a glass of English sparkling wine.
Unfortunately, the private tour option doesn’t include the more kid-friendly attractions like Queen Mary’s Doll’s House or the Changing of the Guard ceremony. If you’re visiting Windsor with kids, it might be better to visit the Castle during the day when a dedicated children’s audio tour and other activities are available.
Hampton Court Palace
If you love exploring historic sites, Hampton Court Palace is well worth a visit. It’s around an hour from central London whether you travel by car or take the train from Waterloo train station. In the summer, you can often get a boat ride back to London after your tour, if you don’t have to get there quickly.
Hampton Court was Henry the 8th’s most famous residence, and he brought all of his six wives there. He spent more time at Hampton Court than any of his other residences, turning it into a pleasure palace with jousting tournaments and grand feasts.
We had to cut this one from our last visit, but this looked like (to me) the only palace tour that would be good for kids. There are masses of things to do at Hampton Court, from the world’s oldest puzzle maze to a magical children’s playground that makes Hampton Court a great family day out.
If you want to learn more about the Palace, Hampton Court private tours let you explore its history with a friendly guide. You can choose from several private tours of Hampton Court Palace, including the Horses and History tour that focuses on Henry VIII’s great horses and the Real Tennis Experience, which takes in the Palace’s Real Tennis court.
You can even visit Hampton Court after closing to enjoy spine-chilling ghost stories from the Palace’s haunted history.
Kensington Palace
Another Royal Palace worth visiting is Kensington Palace, which is around 40 minutes from Central London by public transport.
Queen Victoria was born here in 1819, and it was the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales, in the 1990s. It’s now the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and their three children.
Private tours of Kensington Palace take place in the morning before the doors open to visitors, with longer tours available after the Palace closes in the evenings.
You’ll be guided around the Palace by an expert palace host, who will show you the King’s State Apartments, the Queen’s State Apartments, and the rooms where Princess Victoria was raised. You can also see the Jewel Room, which contains the gifts commissioned for Queen Victoria by her husband, Prince Albert.
Kensington Palace isn’t as family-friendly as Hampton Court Palace, so young kids might not enjoy these tours as much. However, you’re just a 5-minute walk from the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, a great place for kids to burn off some energy.
The playground features a wooden pirate ship surrounded by a sand beach, a sensory trail, and various play sculptures.
The British Museum
The British Museum opened to the public in 1759 and is now the most popular attraction in the United Kingdom. It has the world’s largest collection dedicated to human history, culture, and art from all around the world, with over 8 million items covering many centuries of history.
In fact, the oldest item in the British Museum is a stone chopping tool about 1.8 million years old!
Private tours of the British Museum take place before the museum opens in the morning and are led by expert volunteer tour guides. You can choose from tours dedicated to the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Greece, and China, or learn about the museum’s development on the Introduction to the British Museum tour.
I took the ancient Egypt tour with my husband and sons when we visited London in 2024. This tour was really kid-friendly, with lots of interesting facts and exhibits to keep them engaged.
I’d definitely recommend booking a tour when you next visit London, and you can read more in my full review of a private British Museum tour.
The National Gallery
From its fabulous position overlooking Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery houses a collection of over 2300 paintings ranging from the mid-13th century to the 20th century. You can see some of the world’s most famous paintings, including van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks, and van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
National Gallery Private Tours are led by the gallery’s expert guides. Daytime Tours take place while the gallery is open, and you can also book a Private Out of Hours Tour before the gallery opens or when it has closed for the day.
There are several themed tours, including the Impressionists, Heroes and Villains, and the Royal Tour. Alternatively, you can request a bespoke tour customized to suit your schedule and interests.
Tate Art Galleries
The Tate is a network of art galleries that includes Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, as well as galleries in Liverpool and Cornwall.
Tate Britain explores 500 years of British art, from the Pre-Raphaelites and Turner to modern artists like Hockney and Himid. Tate Modern houses a collection of modern and contemporary art from around the world, featuring paintings, sculptures, and large installations from artists such as Picasso, Matisse, and Kusama.
Both galleries offer free entry to their main collections, but a private group tour is a better way to learn more about the artworks. Private tours of Tate are ideal for making the most of your time in London, allowing you to see highlights of the galleries’ ever-changing collections accompanied by a Tate expert guide.
Highlights Tours are available for both Tate Modern and Tate Britain. If you can’t decide which one to visit, a Tate to Tate Tour is the best way to get a taste of both galleries. You can also add Tate to Tate boat tickets to travel between the galleries.
Churchill War Room
The Churchill War Rooms is part of the Imperial War Museum and a great experience for anyone fascinated by WWII history.
This experience includes the Cabinet War Rooms and a museum dedicated to the life of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Cabinet War Rooms are an underground complex that housed the British government command center during World War 2.
On a private tour of the Churchill War Rooms, you’ll be taken around the museum and War Rooms by one of the museum’s expert team of guides, getting you “behind the glass.” You’ll learn about Churchill’s life, visit his wartime bedroom, and see the desk where he delivered speeches to the nation. This tour even includes transportation to and from your hotel and a guided walking tour of Westminster.
In the Cabinet War Rooms, you’ll see the map used to track ship movements in the Battle of the Atlantic and the scratch marks Churchill left on the arms of his chair as he made life-or-death decisions.
There’s also an option to upgrade to a tour delivered by one of the Museum’s Director-level tour guides.
We booked one of the regular tours of the War Rooms because my then-9-year-old son was very into WW2 history. Unfortunately, it isn’t really a kid-friendly tour option and he found it quite boring, but it’s a good option for if you’re a history buff interested in this era of British history.
The Houses of Parliament
The ornate Palace of Westminster is the location of the UK’s Parliament, which is made up of two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It’s also famous for the Elizabeth Tower, the clock tower better known as Big Ben.
Guided and self-guided tours of the Palace of Westminster are available, but there isn’t much of a VIP option. The Palace is pretty old, dating back to 1016 as a royal palace, and it’s also a place of work for over 1000 people. Although parts of the interior are very beautiful, it’s not really set up for tourists.
However, it’s possible to go behind the scenes of Parliament with a private tour guide. You can also combine a trip to Parliament with another London landmark in this tour of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey tour. This exclusive guided tour of Westminster takes you behind the scenes in the Houses of Parliament, so you’ll see both chambers of Parliament, the King’s Robing Room, and the Royal Gallery.
Bear in mind these tours probably won’t interest most kids, and photography is restricted in some areas of the Houses of Parliament for security reasons.
The London Eye
The London Eye sits on the south bank of the River Thames close to the Houses of Parliament. It’s the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe and is sometimes known as the Millennium Wheel, as it opened in the year 2000.
3 million visitors ride the London Eye each year, making it the most popular paid attraction in the UK. Each 30-minute rotation provides fantastic views of central London, and you can spot famous landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Several VIP London Eye experiences are available including the VIP Eye Lounge Experience. This tour gives you VIP check-in, priority boarding, a glass of chilled champagne in the exclusive Eye Lounge, and a second glass when you’re on board the wheel.
For the most premium London Eye experience, you can even hire a Private Pod to host up to 25 guests. Your group will enjoy VIP check-in and priority boarding before enjoying an unforgettable experience in your own private pod. Optional drinks can be booked in advance for an additional cost.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey has been at the heart of royal London since 1066. 40 coronations have taken place there including King Charles III’s coronation. It was also the venue of William and Kate’s wedding and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Abbey doesn’t offer any private tours, although you can take part in a verger tour of Westminster Abbey. Vergers are the people who help organize services in a church, and the Abbey’s vergers know its history better than pretty much anyone. You can book entry tickets to Westminster Abbey in advance but the tour can only be booked at the Abbey.
The best private tour of Westminster is this behind-the-scenes tour of Westminster Abbey and Parliament. Your guide can take you to spots you can’t see otherwise (mostly in Parliament) and provides a ton of background detail and history in both locations.
St Paul’s Cathedral
The magnificent 18th-century St Paul’s Cathedral is an instantly recognizable part of London’s skyline. It’s famous as the venue of the 1981 royal wedding of Prince Charles (now King Charles III) and Princess Diana.
This historic building is well worth visiting for its impressive architecture and stunning panoramic views of the city of London.
Although various guided and self-guided tours of St Paul’s Cathedral are available, the cathedral doesn’t offer any private or VIP tours.
However, you can book a St Paul’s Cathedral Private Tour, where you’ll explore the cathedral with one of the city’s expert Blue Badge guides. These are the only external tour guides allowed to lead tours inside St Paul’s.
You’ll learn about the cathedral’s history and explore highlights including the Whispering Gallery, High Altar, and the American Memorial Chapel commemorating the 28,000 Americans based in the UK during WW2.
Stonehenge
The stone circle at Stonehenge is England’s best-known prehistoric monument. A private tour of Stonehenge at sunrise or sunset gives you exclusive access to the Inner Circle, which is usually out-of-bounds for the general public.
Although Stonehenge is about 2 hours from London, visiting early in the morning means you’ll be back in the city by early afternoon. This timing makes it easy to combine your Stonehenge visit with one of the other tours on this list, helping you make the most of your time in London.
You can read more in my full review of a VIP Tour of Stonehenge, and this small group tour of Stonehenge and Windsor offers a budget-friendly alternative.
So, that’s my pick of the best VIP tours and private experiences in London. Each of these tours provides the perfect way to see behind the scenes or learn more about these iconic London landmarks.
If you can’t decide which London private tours to book, you could also hire your own expert guide to design a bespoke private walking tour or London taxi tour.
Which VIP London tour would you like to experience next?
